New Zealand vs South Africa 5th T20I
New Zealand National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team, Zimbabwe T20I Tri series 2025
Rassie van der Dussen, South African Captain, starts by saying they weren’t good enough. He mentions that the ball was doing something early on in their batting innings, and they knew it from the first three games. He adds that they really couldn’t recover from the early loss of wickets. He says that it’s an experimental phase going on in the batting order and adds that everyone knows how cleanly Lhuan dre Pretorius hits the ball, and right now it’s more a case of looking at different guys in different positions. On Muthusamy’s performance, he says that he again came up with a great performance on a personal level. On asked about what they need to do right going into the finals, he says that they probably just need to find the best combination and make sure they are fresh and ready to go on Saturday. He finishes off by saying that if they get it right on Saturday, they can still lift the trophy.
Tim expressed that winning Player of the Match is a confidence booster, but he emphasized that it’s a testament to the team’s great collective performance. He noted that adapting to different bowling styles, whether it’s the taller bowlers of Zimbabwe or the skiddy bowlers of South Africa, requires a similar approach to scoring runs. Seifert described the wicket as challenging, where batsmen struggle to settle in and need to grind out their innings.
That will be curtains on today’s game. It was a rehearsal before the finals, and it’s safe to say New Zealand, having won this game, will go into the finals with a psychological advantage over South Africa. However, South Africa would like to look at this as a one-off day and would look to come back strong in the finals. Nonetheless, there’s one more group stage game left before the Tri-Series finals, and that will be between Zimbabwe and New Zealand on 24th July, Thursday, at 11 AM GMT. Join us early for the pre-match analysis as we build up to the game.
That will be curtains on today’s game. It was a rehearsal before the finals, and it’s safe to say New Zealand, having won this game, will go into the finals with a psychological advantage over South Africa.
However, South Africa would like to look at this as a one off day and would look to come back strong in the finals. Nonetheless, there’s one more group stage game left before the Tri Series finals, and that will be between Zimbabwe and New Zealand on 24th July, Thursday, at 11 AM GMT. Join us early for the pre match analysis as we build up to the game.
New Zealand and South Africa are set to take on each other in the 5th T20I of the tri-series also involving Zimbabwe. This is the final time that the two sides will be taking on each other before they face off in the final on July 26 (Saturday).
New Zealand were the first to qualify for the final of the tri series, after they defeated South Africa and Zimbabwe in their first two matches. The Mitchell Santner led side are the only side who have stayed undefeated in the series so far, and a win against the Proteas will increase their streak to three matches.
South Africa started off their series on a strong note as they defeated hosts Zimbabwe by a margin of 5 wickets. They were then defeated by New Zealand in their second game, which was followed by a win against Zimbabwe once again. Their second win helped them qualify for the final of the tri series. The Rassie van der Dussen-led side will now look to avenge their defeat against the Kiwis.
New Zealand registers a comfortable win in the end as they romp home with 7 wickets in hand and 4.1 overs to go. New Zealand got off to a rollicking start as the opening duo of Devon Conway and Tim Seifert put on 51 in just 5.1 overs. After that, New Zealand was always in control of the chase in spite of losing Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra in a space of 11 balls.
Mitchell Santner, New Zealand Captain, says that he was thrilled with his team’s bowling performance in the powerplay, describing it as outstanding. He emphasized that taking wickets in the Powerplay is crucial in setting up a strong position in the match. Santner also appreciated the spin friendly conditions, noting that such surfaces are rare in New Zealand. He commended Zakary Foulkes and Will O’Rourke for their impressive bowling and acknowledged the importance of fine tuning their strategy in the lead up to the final.
Rassie van der Dussen, South African Captain, starts by saying they weren’t good enough. He mentions that the ball was doing something early on in their batting innings, and they knew it from the first three games. He adds that they really couldn’t recover from the early loss of wickets. He says that it’s an experimental phase going on in the batting order and adds that everyone knows how cleanly Lhuan dre Pretorius hits the ball, and right now it’s more a case of looking at different guys in different positions. On Muthusamy’s performance, he says that he again came up with a great performance on a personal level. On asked about what they need to do right going into the finals, he says that they probably just need to find the best combination and make sure they are fresh and ready to go on Saturday. He finishes off by saying that if they get it right on Saturday, they can still lift the trophy.
Off cutter full toss, wide down leg side on the front foot slog sweeping, well timed in the air under control past fine leg for 4 runs. New Zealand successfully chase down the target set by South Africa, completing a dominant performance to keep up their perfect record in the Tri Series so far. Tim Seifert anchored the run chase with his unbeaten 66 to ensure they were always in control chasing the below par total. Senuran Muthusamy took two wickets for South Africa, but their bowlers couldn’t apply any pressure with a wayward display conceding a significant number of wides. Tim Seifert’s impressive innings earned him the Player of the Match award.
New Zealand and South Africa will face off in the fifth match of the ongoing T20I Tri Series at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
Both teams have qualified for the final after Zimbabwe the host lost its third consecutive match of the series. With both the Kiwis and Proteas securing their spot in the summit clash, Tuesday’s match will serve as preparation.
In the first round of matches in the ongoing Tri Series, New Zealand had beaten South Africa by 21 runs thanks to Tim Robinson and Bevon Jacobs’ unbeaten 103-run partnership for the sixth wicket. With the ball, pacers Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy had picked three wickets each to cap off a clinical performance by the Kiwis.
NZ vs SA When and where to watch
The T20I Tri Series match between New Zealand and South Africa will not be televised live in India. However, the match will be available for live streaming on the FanCode app and website from 4:30 PM IST.
NZ vs SA The squads
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, James Neesham, Mitchell Hay (wk).
South Africa: Lhuan dre Pretorius (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen (c), Rubin Hermann, Dewald Brevis, George Linde, Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, Andile Simelane, Nqabayomzi Peter.
South Africa: 134/8 in 20 overs (Reeza Hendricks 41, George Linde 23; Adam Milne 2/21)
New Zealand: 135/3 in 15.5 overs (Tim Seifert 66, Daryl Mitchell 20*; Senuran Muthusamy 2/24)
Result: New Zealand win by 7 wickets
POTM: Tim Seifert (New Zealand)
Next match: Zimbabwe vs New Zealand on Thursday, July 24.